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by GeoffL
8 Jul 2016, 4:44pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Walkable Cycling Shoe Recommendations
Replies: 55
Views: 5577

Re: Walkable Cycling Shoe Recommendations

If you want one-sided, you might consider Shimano M324. Although they're heavier than the PD A-600, they work well as either SPDs or platforms and accept standard reflectors (so you can be fully legal at night with SPDs!)
by GeoffL
8 Jul 2016, 1:59pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Walkable Cycling Shoe Recommendations
Replies: 55
Views: 5577

Re: Walkable Cycling Shoe Recommendations

FWIW, I have a pair of Lake shoes where the MTB cleats are flush with the sole. They're really comfy, with mock-suede uppers and Vibram soles. They look like regular trainers at a casual glance and I can walk miles in them without trouble. I can even drive in them if required (although I only did that once to prove it possible). Unfortunately, I can't find the exact model on the Lake website, but this link should take you to the nearest equivalent -- their MX 105. AFAICT the only difference (apart from minor stying) between them and what I have seems to be the fastening system.

If it's any help, I got mine from Partridge Cycles off the A38 just South of Exeter. The staff there were exeedingly helpful and prices were less than 10% more than the cheapest on-line.
by GeoffL
6 Jul 2016, 7:01pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Marathon vs Marathon Plus
Replies: 14
Views: 17029

Re: Marathon vs Marathon Plus

I've never ridden with Marathon. However, I recently changed to Marathon Plus (marked as "Electric Ready") on both my wife's and my hybrids. They're fine on my bike with less rolling resistance than the Continental Travel Contact I switched from. However, on my wife's bike the tread picks up lots of sharp gravel from the surface of a local cycle way and I've twice spent half an hour after a ride laboriously picking the gravel out of the tread. My tyres are 700 x 35C; my wife's are 26" x 1.75" and so I suspect the tread grooves are a little wider on her tyres, which allows the gravel to become trapped. I don't know what size you need, and so don't know how much this helps -- but I hope it does.
by GeoffL
8 Sep 2015, 5:55pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Anyone with an Adventure AT1 trailer?
Replies: 0
Views: 614

Anyone with an Adventure AT1 trailer?

Hi all,

I need to replace the wheels on my trailer and some photos I've seen on the Web suggest that the wheels fitted to the Adventure AT1 trailer might do the job. If anyone has an AT1, I'd be grateful for details of the axle spigots for these wheels. For example, what is the spigot diameter, spigot length, and how does the spigot lock into the trailer cross-tube?

TIA,

Geoff
by GeoffL
13 Oct 2013, 11:08am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Drakes Trail (part of the Devon C2C - NCN27)
Replies: 55
Views: 7996

Re: Drakes Trail (part of the Devon C2C - NCN27)

I hope that nobody minds my resurrection of this thread -- but the viaduct was finished last year and has even won an award according to this article from the local newspaper.

Interestingly, it seems that NCN27 is to become part of the " Velodyssey, a 265-mile (440km) cross-Channel cycle link that will eventually stretch 870 miles (1,400km), from Ilfracombe in through Brittany to the border with Spain.", which should give an interesting 'set tour'!
by GeoffL
29 Aug 2013, 5:37pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: nuicance phone calls
Replies: 108
Views: 11426

Re: nuicance phone calls

AndyBSG wrote:Best way to stop nuisance callers? Keep one of those air horn things they use to start races next to the phone and when they call just hold it up to the receiver and give it a good belt!

If only that could stop them from phoning in the first place!

FWIW, I'm still using the method I described in page 3 of this thread and get disturbed by telemarketers no more than a couple of times per month. I get one or two 'abandoned' calls from those who hang up too late to avoid leaving voicemail, but then I have two UK and one Australian VOIP landline numbers in addition to my BT line and those calls are split between that lot.
by GeoffL
22 Aug 2012, 10:26pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

hexhome wrote:The screen print was from Mapsource, I've not discovered a way of installing maps from Basecamp to GPS/SD card? I've only ever used the GPS version of Velomap so I am eager to hear of your thoughts?

To install mapping onto a GPSr or an SD card from BaseCamp:
  1. Connect the device or insert the SD card. The device or SD card appears in the list on the left side of the BaseCamp window (see attachment).
  2. Select "All Data" for the GPSr to install to the GPSr internal memory, the memory card of the GPSr to install to the memory card fitted in the device, or "All Data" for the 'stand-alone' memory card mounted as a removable drive in your PC.
  3. From the Utilities menu, choose "Install Maps on <selected device or card>"
  4. Follow the on-screen prompts.
Note that Garmin aren't kidding when they put a warning that the transfer might take hours, and if your computer is anything like mine, BaseCamp will hog 99% of the processor cycles while the transfer is underway!

HTH
by GeoffL
22 Aug 2012, 8:06pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

hexhome wrote:I've just solved this one :)

Thanks for that. For info, I'd worked out that BaseCamp can do that. Even better, it can install the maps directly to an SD card plugged into a reader attached to your computer, and it seems to do it a lot quicker than it does to the SD card in my Dakota. FWIW, I'm currently installing the alternative Velomap style to a second SD card and plan to rename the .IMG file then copy it to the SD card in my GPSr to see if the two styles can coexist and let me switch between them to get the most readable style depending on whether I'm on roads or off-road trails.

Edited to add: Unfortunately, the two Velomap styles don't coexist on my Dakota and only one version appears in the list of maps to enable/disable. I suspect this is because both styles have the same name.
by GeoffL
22 Aug 2012, 12:09pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

Hexhome: Thanks for that. I do have "faster" rather than "shorter" set, as with TalkyToaster mapping "shorter" can send you up some pretty horrible hills. That discussion you linked on 'autorouting' does fly somewhat in the face of what seems instinctively correct to me. That said, once you understand its idiosyncrasies and make the necessary adjustments, I suspect that Velomap will give much better results.
by GeoffL
22 Aug 2012, 10:03am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

Just to add another twist to the comparison, Hexhome did his routing trials in BaseCamp while I did mine in MapSource ... and I've just noticed that Velomap gave very different results with "Bicycle" as the chosen mode in MapSource than it did with either of the cycling modes in BaseCamp. You can see Hexhome's routes in this post and I've attached the route I got in MapSource.

Velomap/MapSource in &quot;Bicycle&quot; mode
Velomap/MapSource in "Bicycle" mode


So it's not just the mapping that makes a difference, but also the device on which the mapping is used. Thus Velomap with one GPSr could well be more reliable than the same mapping used with another GPSr (or even the same GPSr with a different firmware version). However, the difference the two of us got using Velomap with different Garmin products might also mean that the route you get on the road might not be the route you got while planning it (unless you put in enough waypoints to force the route the way you want to go). So one probably needs to use a little caution, at least until you have enough experience to know whether the route you're given is likely to be good!
by GeoffL
21 Aug 2012, 8:53pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

hexhome wrote:My findings were similar to yours Geoff except that as you can see, using Velomap, the NCN route was selected when Bicycling as opposed to Tour Cycling is the Activity Profile. Not sure why this should be, is the NCN route suitable for presumably laden bikes?

FWIW, the NCN route in question is the Southern end of the Devon Coast-to-Coast (which is ridden each year on many a laden bike) ... and Velomap bypassed the first part. If you look on the Sustrans website, you can find the actual route, which goes from the start via back streets to cross the River Plym at Laira Bridge and then follows the opposite bank of the river to what Velomap chose. (BTW, you can see the NCN route more easily in Velomap if you follow it back to the start from where it crosses the A38) The route Velomap chose is a narrow, shared path that is IMO unsuited to trikes (at least, I'm very reluctant to take my trailer that way because of problems if you meet pedestrians or another cyclist going the other way). OTOH, the NCN route isn't that good because it's got some gates and barriers at which I have to unhitch the trailer to get through, and the route through the grounds of Saltram House is towpath-standard at best. That said, Velomap did go for the Plym Valley Cycleway (which is predominantly tarmac over an old rail bed) in your case!

So, Velomap in bicycling mode on BaseCamp probably chose the best route for a tourist who's not too concerned about getting from A to B in the fastest time, but not the best for a 'roadie' or other faster cyclist.

BTW, this isn't an "X vs Y" thing. I now have both Velomap and TalkyToaster loaded on my Dakota, can switch between them as required (takes less than 20 seconds), intend using both, and you have my thanks for bringing Velomap to my attention. Each has their strengths in the right circumstances, but in my limited experience, neither offers completely reliable routing (but to be fair, neither has any satnav solution I've so far tried), and so I'll continue to manually plan my routes where possible.
by GeoffL
21 Aug 2012, 5:07pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

I've now given Velomap a quick try. Although I haven't used it 'in anger' on the bike, I've done enough with MapSource to make the following comments:

First, I can confirm that both maps can coexist on my Dakota and I can select which to use via the method I gave previously.

I have both BaseCamp and MapSource. Although Velomap was easy enough to install, it wasn't so easy to use. I elected for the "Velo" version, which was supposed to be clearer. However, in MapSource, the contours were missing and in BaseCamp the contour info was not as detailed as is available with the TalkyToaster mapping. When I tried to build a map to directly copy to my Dakota, the utility complained that I was missing a .jar file. Although this gave a location from which to download one, I couldn't tell which one to use and so gave up trying the direct load approach.

When I transferred the mapping of my area from MapSource to the Dakota, MapSource put the .img files onto the device rather than the SD card. FWIW, I don't like to put mapsets onto the device as that implies you need to send the device back to Garmin if the mapping crashes the device. In contrast, if mapping on the SD card crashes the device, you can recover simply by removing the SD card and using your computer to delete the offending file(s). This is relatively easy to fix with Velomap, as you just need to move the mapset files from the device to the SD card before restarting the GPSr.

I then tested the routing functions in MapSource. For one of my regular rides, both TalkyToaster and Velomap chose the more-direct route that includes a 1:8 hill rather than the slightly longer but quicker and easier route via an A road. I then let both plan a route from the end of Barbican Approach in Plymouth (50.36761, -4.12625) to Yelverton (50.49136, -4.08687). I chose this because I know the area well, there is a perfectly good A-road route with significant cycle facilities, and both points pretty much lie on NCN27. TalkyToaster chose a 9.7 mile A-road route -- not quite the one I'd have chosen, but not too bad. OTOH, Velomap chose a 13.3 mile meandering route that took in some serious gradients. Both products completely ignored the 12.1 mile NCN route. TBH, I might one day follow the Velomap route as it seems the basis for an interesting day's tour even though it's not a logical route to take if you just want to go from A to B! So, for me, I wouldn't be prepared to let either product make all the routing decisions.

In the end, I suppose it's down to personal preference and which is clearer in use. Personally, I found TalkyToaster's maps clearer for roads and Velomap clearer for off-road routes, although either can be used for either type of route. However, that's just on my Dakota and different devices can render mapping very differently, which means that each needs to try out both for themselves.

Sorry the above is a bit of a ramble, but HTH.
by GeoffL
21 Aug 2012, 10:04am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

First, thanks for some very informative reviews.
hexhome wrote:It is important to note that it is not possible to have both mapsets (Velomap and Talkytoaster) installed on the GPS device at the same time.

For info, while it's not practical to have both maps active at the same time, you can have more than one mapset installed on some devices (e.g. my Dakota) at the same time. The trick is to give one of the mapsets a filename other than the default GMAPSUPP.IMG. Once this is done, you can (on the Dakota) go into Setup->Map->Select Maps and enable or disable mapping as appropriate. FWIW, I've got mapping currently installed on my SD card for UK, Spain, Singapore, and Victoria (Aus) (filenames GMAPSUPP.IMG, ES.IMG, SING.IMG, and MEL.IMG respectively) but only the UK mapping plus the Garmin basemap is currently active. When I've got time, I'll also install Velomap both to check that it can coexist with Martin's offering and also to use when cycling.

Thanks again for the reviews, and HTH
by GeoffL
13 Aug 2012, 10:46am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

hexhome wrote:
GeoffL wrote:@hexhome: TalkyToaster's mapsets are different to the Garmin products in that Martin supplies a set of maps formatted for MapSource and/or BaseCamp and another set of maps that can be directly loaded onto the GPSr with the device in 'portable drive mode'.

As are velomaps???

TBH, I don't really know as all I've used are TalkyToaster's mapset. However, I understand from geocachers who've used Garmin's own product that you load Garmin's own maps into MapSource or BaseCamp and then transfer the mapping from the Windows/Mac to the GPSr. A quick look at the link you provided suggested that Velomaps are similar to Garmin's in that you load the maps first to MapSource. That said, there are utilities around that will create either .img map files or custom map tiles, including one in the Velomaps package if I read your link correctly.

FWIW, I understood that Titanic asked specifically about TalkyToaster's maps, and so tailored my response for that query.
by GeoffL
12 Aug 2012, 6:47pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC
Replies: 47
Views: 15077

Re: How to load OSM map into Basecamp on PC

Titanic wrote:Hi,
I have just started this process for my Etrex 20 and Basecamp.

I have downloaded the maps and MapTk but can't see any install or uninstall .bat files.

Have I missed something?
Thanks...

I assume that you're using TalkyToaster's mapset (downloadable from http://talkytoaster.info/, with the latest maps for BaseCamp being http://www.talkytoaster.info/120727-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-MapSource.zip at the time of writing).

The install.bat and uninstall.bat files should be in the zip file above (at least they were in the version dated 1/6/12) -- I'm just downloading the latest version and will post whether that still holds when my download is finished.

@hexhome: TalkyToaster's mapsets are different to the Garmin products in that Martin supplies a set of maps formatted for MapSource and/or BaseCamp and another set of maps that can be directly loaded onto the GPSr with the device in 'portable drive mode'.

Edited to add: My download has finished and I've just checked. The latest version at the time of writing has the install.bat and uninstall.bat files you seek.

HTH,

Geoff